


Miami

by torturingtaylor (itzaimster)



Category: Hanson
Genre: Boats and Ships, Gen, Hijacking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-08
Updated: 2014-02-08
Packaged: 2018-01-11 09:15:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1171331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itzaimster/pseuds/torturingtaylor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Taylor decides to take the boat they hired to celebrate his 30th out for one final spin their last morning in Miami.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This didn't turn out the way I expected it to, but it didn't end too bad either.

“Hey.”  
Natalie stirred in her sleep, forcing her eyes open at the sound of her husband’s voice. He was already leaning up in the bed and looking down at her.  
“What’s up?” she was a little worried – she thought he’d want to sleep in.  
“I’m gonna take the boat out again before we have to take it back,” Taylor kept his voice down, “mind holding down the fort?”  
“Are they awake?” she rubbed her right eye as she focused.  
“Not yet. You should get some more sleep.”  
“Okay,” Natalie wasn’t about to argue.  
Taylor leant down to plant a kiss on her lips before rolling from the bed and grabbing his phone from the table. Already dressed, he headed for the door.  
“Be careful,” Natalie murmured after him, causing him to look back.  
“I will,” he offered her a smile before closing the bedroom door behind him.  
He quietly made his way through the apartment to the kitchen area where he’d left his sunglasses on the bench. After slipping them onto his head he made his way to a nearby chair that held one of his camera bags.  
“Dad?”  
He almost jumped out of his skin. When Taylor looked over his shoulder he realised that River had been standing by the fridge the entire time and he hadn’t even realised.  
“What are you doing awake?” Taylor’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.  
“I wanted a drink. Couldn’t sleep,” River replied before Taylor saw the cup of water in his hand, “where are you going?”  
Taylor thought it over before sliding the camera bag over his shoulder and heading back to the bench for the keys.  
“I’m taking the boat out again, want to come?” he offered.  
River’s eyes immediately lit up and Taylor knew it was a yes.  
“Go and get dressed, I’ll tell your Mom,” Taylor hushed, “but don’t wake anyone up.”  
“Okay!” River agreed, almost throwing the cup down and rushing back to his room.  
Taylor quickly went to rinse the cup out of habit before heading back to the bedroom.  
“Nat?” he called softly, unsure if she were still awake or not.  
“Hmm?” came the non-committal reply.  
“River’s awake so I’m taking him with,” he said quickly, “don’t freak out when he’s not here, okay?”  
“Okay.”  
Taylor wasn’t entirely sure she got the message, so once he closed the door and returned to the kitchen he quickly scribbled out a note to leave. By the time he was done River had returned and he made sure his son had a jacket before ushering him out the door.

It was still dark as they made their way down the promenade toward the docks. Though there were many fishermen heading out Taylor kept River well in his sights until they reached the hire boat. Taylor helped him up the step and watched as River jumped in before passing him the camera bag, making sure he found a life vest to wear, and casting off.  
“Where we going?” River called out, no longer worried about keeping quiet with the morning hustle and bustle of the marina.  
“I figure we’ll head out onto the straight stretch and get there in time for sunrise,” Taylor grinned as he jumped aboard.  
He finished tying off before heading upstairs to the helm. River took up his favoured spot at the bow as his father started the motor and they waited for another boat to pass before turning into the bay and heading on out. After a quick radio call to the marina to let them know where they were going, Taylor focused on finding the perfect spot to photograph the sunrise from.  
“Dad!” he heard River call when they were just out of line from the bay.  
Taylor stayed where he was but leant forward enough to spot his son’s head. River was pointing out off the starboard bow, and when Taylor followed his eye line he could see some dark shapes breaking the water. Worried for a moment that they might be sharks he grinned when he saw the shape of the fins in the small pod.  
He kept his eye on River as the seven-year-old excitedly watched the dolphins follow the boat. They weren’t travelling very fast so the sea mammals easily overtook them and looped around the vessel. Taylor had a perfect view from the helm and he once again felt the sadness creeping in – telling him they’d have to leave it all behind and head home again that day.

The sky was starting to turn golden before they could get too far out, and Taylor soon decided it was far enough. He turn the boat to port and shut the engine off before heading downstairs to drop the anchor.  
“We’re stopping?” River asked when he saw his Dad fussing around.  
“Not for too long,” Taylor assured, “just to watch the sunrise and take some photos. Keep an eye out for those dolphins and see if they come back.”  
“Okay.”  
Taylor finished setting up before going for his camera bag. He pulled out the gear that he planned to use and quickly went about cleaning it before switching up his lenses. He took a couple of practise shots using the lights on the boat before settling to wait for the sun to come up a little further.  
“Do we have to go back today?” River asked when he realised his Dad had stopped.  
“Yeah we do,” Taylor rubbed his head, “gotta get back to work, and you need to get back to school.”  
He smirked at River’s grunt in response.  
“We can’t holiday forever kiddo,” he insisted.  
“I know,” River grumbled, resting his chin on his arms as he looked out toward the line of gold.  
It took Taylor a moment to realise he wasn’t just watching the sun. His eyes narrowed as he stood on the deck, leaning against the cabin as he focused off starboard. There was definitely another boat far off in the distance and it was headed in their direction.  
Taylor made sure to keep his eye on it as the lights drew closer, breathing a sigh of relief as it turned off toward the stern when it must have sighted them in return. By the time that was over the sun was starting to make an appearance.  
“Dad?” River caught his attention.  
“Yeah Riv’?” Taylor lifted his camera and began adjusting the settings.  
“This is pretty cool, huh?”  
“It is,” Taylor agreed, kneeling down beside him and using the side of the boat as a tentative tripod.  
As the sun rose he quickly began snapping away, soon pulling his sunglasses from his head and setting them over River’s eyes while he insisted on looking toward it. When the globe finally developed to the full over the horizon Taylor concentrated on both the shadowy landscape and the reflections in the water before finally sitting back and taking a look at what he’d accomplished.  
“Any good?” River asked when he realised he’d stopped.  
“Not too bad,” Taylor reasoned leaning over to show him a few.  
“They’re pretty dark,” River pulled a face.  
“Because it _was_ dark,” Taylor ruffled his hair.  
The steady hum of an engine caught his attention, and when he looked up he saw another boat approaching from port, towards the marina. Able to see better now that the sun was in the sky he saw that it was similar in size and colour to the one they were on and headed pretty much straight for them.  
Feeling a bit of a chill but brushing it off as the sea air he began to pack up his camera.  
“We should get back and take everyone some breakfast,” he told River.  
“Okay,” his son went straight up to sit on the bow again.  
“Hey Riv’?” Taylor called out again, “you wanna go and make sure we haven’t left anything down in the cabin while I get us going?”  
“Okay!”  
Taylor started packing up his camera bag, keeping an eye on the incoming vessel as he did so. He set the bag down behind a bench seat on the deck before standing and heading for the anchor as he heard the motor on the other vessel slow.  
He made momentary eye contact with the boat’s skipper and gave him a quick wave, expecting them to divert course and move on. When he did as expected Taylor breathed a sigh of relief before starting to wind the weight up.  
“Nothing down here Dad,” River soon appeared from the cabin door.  
“Did you double check the bedding?” Taylor asked.  
River groaned and headed back down. Taylor smirked to himself as he finished what he was doing before heading up to the helm and starting her up.


	2. Chapter 2

As Taylor looked out at the water to watch where he was going, he froze when he saw the other boat had doubled back. The vessel was already dangerously close and Taylor had the sinking feeling that they were going to side-swipe each other.  
“HEY!” he tried calling out, sure they were within ear shot.  
He quickly killed the engine – knowing they wouldn’t get out of the way in time – before bolting down the stairs and darting to the side. The boat’s skipper had obviously seen that they would collide and had turned to port to divert the impact, but Taylor wasn’t sure it was going to be enough.  
“River?!” Taylor called down into the cabin, “stay where you are, alright? Still got your life vest on?”  
“Yep!” came the insistent reply.  
“Great,” Taylor said under his breath, holding it as the boat slowly came to a halt beside theirs.   
The beams barely graced each other, but when Taylor realised the damage would only be minor he focused on the man on board who he suddenly realised was wearing a balaclava.  
“What the-?”  
The man easily skirted the boat’s edge and landed on deck. Taylor reacted by bolting for the stairs to the helm, the rail helping him take them three at a time to get to the landing. He could hear heavy boots following him and as his heart raced he dove for the boat’s controls – and radio.  
He managed to grab the handpiece and turn the radio on before he felt a rough hand grab his shoulder.  
“MAYDAY-!” was all he got out, and not before the radio was ripped from his hand.  
It bounced back, hitting the controls, as Taylor fell back against the railing. He felt his left leg being kicked out from underneath him, and after hitting his chin on the rail he found himself sprawled on the floor.  
Looking up into the silencer of a black handgun.  
“Where’s the money?!” the intruder demanded.  
“What?” Taylor was still dazed, “what money?!”  
“Where’s the fucking money?!”  
Taylor looked towards the controls. The radio was still active but his message had evidently not gotten through. The gunman stood between them and he looked ready to pull the trigger.  
“Whatever you want, take it,” Taylor insisted, raising his hands a little to signify surrender, “my wallet’s downstairs. There’s not much in it but-“  
“I don’t want your fucking wallet!” the gunman was angry, “where’s the damn money?!”  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Taylor’s adrenaline was spiking.  
The gunman took a step back so his leg wasn’t tangled in Taylor’s, reaching down for the handset which was dangling from the cord. He used it to rip the cord from the socket and throw the piece overboard.  
Taylor gulped slightly. He could tell the gunman didn’t believe him.  
“Tell me where you hid it,” he clicked the gun off safety, “or we’ll tear this thing to shreds finding it.”  
Taylor’s first thought was for River. He knew with the shouting above that he wouldn’t draw attention to himself, but if there were more than one of these guys Taylor couldn’t fend them off. His fears were realised when he heard a second set of boots land on the deck.  
“Please,” Taylor insisted, “I just came out here to take some pictures. I don’t know what money you’re talking about. Maybe I could help if I knew-“  
“What’s taking so long?” came a grumble from below, “this is supposed to be a quick in and out.”  
“Where’s the drugs?!” the gunman demanded, his gloves fidgeting with the grip and keeping Taylor’s nerves on edge.  
“What drugs?” Taylor had no other way to answer.  
A second balaclava appeared from the stairs and he looked to his comrade incredulously.  
“What the fuck are you doing? Let’s just grab and go!”  
“Grab what?!” the gunman turned to demand, “we don’t know where it is!”  
Taylor’s eyes went to the controls again while they were distracted.  
“It can’t be hard to find. Boat’s not that big.”  
Taylor quickly judged the distance and lunged. The gunman tripped at the unexpected movement and Taylor had his hands on the flare gun that had been sitting under the panel before he could recover. But Taylor wasn’t first to pull the trigger.  
At the shock of the blast Taylor dropped the flare gun. Despite attempts to catch it, it bounced across the ground and fell through the railing onto the deck.   
“Quit fucking around,” the gunman scorned, reaching over to grab him by the back of the shirt, “or next time I won’t miss.”  
Taylor took hold of the railing to help himself up, eyeing the second intruder as he did so. They were both of similar height and weight and both dressed in black, any identifying features besides the colour of their eyes hidden beneath the balaclavas. Once he was up the second man disappeared below and he felt a shove in his back which made him stumble.  
“It’s not up here, so show us where it is,” the gunman almost growled, “or we’ll tie you to the fucking anchor.”  
Taylor grit his teeth at that, his mind racing for a way to talk himself out of it. When he made it to the stairs he could already see the other man going through his camera bag on deck. Knowing that was where his cell phone was he felt his heart sink yet again.  
The bag was discarded as the man broke the nearby lock box open. Taylor stepped past him, trying to distract himself by gauging how much damage would have been done to the camera when it was dropped.  
The lock box was rifled through vigorously, and the man was evidently unhappy when nothing turned up.  
“You guys have the wrong boat, I swear,” Taylor tried again, keeping his hands where they could be seen as the gun landed on him again, “I just hired it for a few days for my birthday, we’re taking it back today. The paperwork’s all there if you don’t believe me.”  
“Shut up,” the gunman scorned, “unless you’re gonna tell us where the money is!”  
“We don’t have any…” Taylor trailed off as he put his hands on his head, knowing they weren’t going to believe him.  
He had to think of something fast, or they were going to check the cabin. He couldn’t put River in potential danger.  
“ _Is_ this the right boat?!” the second man suddenly demanded, Taylor instantly shaking his head.  
“Chris gave me the numbers,” the gunman shrugged, “they match. He also said it would be here. It is.”  
“What numbers?” Taylor frowned.  
“Shut up!”  
“What else did he say?” the second man demanded as Taylor grit his teeth.  
“That it would be on deck somewhere out of sight.”  
Taylor breathed a sigh of relief, assuming that meant they weren’t interested in the cabin.  
“There’s nowhere on deck for it to be!” the second man’s voice rose.  
“Then rip up the fucking floor!”  
Taylor stepped back as the second man passed him, heading toward the anchor. He quickly put it down before the two boats could drift further from each other and Taylor took the moment to look out over the water.  
A couple of fishing vessels were making their way back in with their morning catch, but they were all too far away to see anything. His attention was pulled back when he heard a loud crack signalling the first break in the deck.  
“A little help?!” the man making the mess wanted to hurry things along.  
Taylor held back from debating their methods, knowing the damage to the boat was already going to cost him. Because he was watching as the man pulled the decking apart he jumped when the gunman grabbed him again. He was manhandled toward the cabin, and when he realised where he was going he didn’t bother trying to dig in his heels. The gunman shoved him through the open door before closing it behind him and shifting the lock box across to prevent him opening it again.


	3. Chapter 3

Taylor took a quick second to make sure he couldn’t open the door before turning to look for River.  
“Riv’?” he tried to keep his voice hushed, “where are you?”  
“Dad?” River appeared from under one of the bunks to the right.  
“Are you okay?” Taylor knelt down to him as he crawled out, life vest still in place and making it difficult.  
“Yeah,” River didn’t look confident, “what’s going on?”  
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing,” Taylor insisted as he quickly looked him over, “just some guys who’ve made a mistake.”  
“It’s a loud mistake.”  
“I know,” Taylor agreed, hoping to keep the situation light.  
He looked up at the cabin door as the crashes came closer, knowing they were either going to find what they were looking for soon enough or they’d be more than angry when they didn’t.  
He turned his attention to the back window of the cabin which led out onto the stern. The window was far too small to fit through, but if River removed the vest he could get through easily enough.  
He raced to weigh his options. He didn’t know why they’d left him in the cabin – if they were still convinced he knew something and planned to beat it out of him perhaps – but if they had foul intentions in mind he wanted River to be as far away from ground zero as possible.  
“I need you to do something for me, you okay with that?” he put a hand on River’s arm as he looked him in the eye.  
“What is it?” River was rightfully suspicious.  
Taylor looked up to the cabin door again to make sure the men were occupied, lowering his voice even further just in case.  
“There’s another boat, just like this one,” he began to explain, “it’s parked right next to us on this side. I need you to swim over to it and use their radio to call for help. You remember how to do that, right?”  
“Yeah but-“  
“I want you to keep your vest on,” Taylor insisted, “but you’ll have to take it off to climb through the window. I’ll pass it out to you when you’re there.”  
“Dad what’s going on?!”  
Taylor hushed him as his voice rose, but the men were both still creating enough noise to cover it.  
“Just focus on getting to the boat,” Taylor insisted, “and doing it as fast and as quiet as you can. If the radio doesn’t work, I need you to send off a flare. You wanted to fire a flare gun, remember?”  
“Yeah,” River was frowning now.  
“Well now you can,” Taylor smiled a little, “but if anyone sees you – or if you do have to fire the gun – you need to try and swim to the shore, okay?”  
“But it’s ages away,” River’s frown only deepened.  
“We’ve drifted closer,” Taylor assured, “it’s not that far, and I know you can do it.”  
River looked to the window, taking note that it was at least a lot lighter outside. He didn’t like the idea of swimming in the dark.  
“Here,” Taylor began to unstrap the life vest, “we need to be quick.”  
“But what if I don’t want to?” River didn’t move to help him at all.  
“Just do this one thing for me, and I promise we can do whatever you want when we get back to Tulsa, okay?” Taylor insisted.  
“Okay,” River conceded with a grumble.  
Taylor pulled the vest over his head before standing up and ducking over to the cabin door again. He could see through the small window that both men were putting as many holes in the deck as they possibly could, and they were already over halfway through. Knowing there wasn’t much time to waste he backed over to the stern window and opened it as quietly as he could manage.  
“So what do you need to do?” Taylor kept River occupied with revision.  
“Swim to the boat next door,” River nodded as he recalled, “say mayday on the radio and tell coastguard where we are. If the radio doesn’t work I get to shoot the gun. Then swim to the beach.”  
“Awesome,” Taylor smiled to himself, knowing he had it.  
He beckoned his son to the window, keeping an ear on the damage still being done to the boat to make sure both men remained out of sight. He helped River climb onto a small trunk below the window before gently taking hold of the back of his neck and looking him in the eye again.  
“Be careful,” he insisted.  
“I will,” River promised, just now starting to worry about the way his father was acting.  
Taylor gave him a quick hug before planting a lingering kiss on his forehead. River turned to climb out the window himself and Taylor kept a worried eye over his shoulder.   
Once River was out Taylor handed him the vest through the hole.  
“Good luck,” he whispered, knowing it was up to his son now.  
River just nodded as he put the vest on again before climbing down the short stepladder at the back of the boat. Taylor held his breath as his son hit the water, not even hearing a splash.  
When he lost sight of him he made to step back from the window, accidentally dislodging the trunk lid he’d knelt on. He went to quickly replace it when he saw what was inside and froze.  
Dozens upon dozens of hundred dollar bills – obviously sorted into certain amounts and banded.


	4. Chapter 4

River slipped into the water once some waves from one of the nearby fishing boats had dissipated enough that he wasn’t as scared. He could easily see the boat his Dad had told him about and he didn’t have far to swim.  
The only time he really found himself in a panic was when the boat began shifting toward him and he was worried it would run him over. In the end it made it easier to grab onto the railing on the back and pull himself up onto the steps.  
He slipped on stray seawater when he landed on deck, letting out a grunt as he fell onto his stomach with the life vest breaking his fall.   
Taylor’s head snapped up when he realised it had gone quiet.  
“What was that?” he heard the gunman ask.  
River struggled to get his grip on the deck, finally managing to pull himself to his hands and knees. He was just about to peer over the side of the boat to check if they’d heard him when there came a commotion from the water.  
Even Taylor jumped at the loud splashes coming from port. When he heard the dolphins start chattering and clicking away he began to hope River wouldn’t get distracted.   
River grinned when he saw the dolphins gaining the attention of the men on their boat. He made a mental note to thank them later as he finally pulled himself to his feet and made for the stairs.  
He took a quick look over the railing to make sure the men were still distracted – one watching the dolphins and the other getting back to destroying the front of the boat – before stepping up to the boat’s controls. It did look similar to the boat his Dad had rented, but it wasn’t exactly the same.   
He could see the radio but he wasn’t sure how to turn it on. It took him a moment to realise the ignition key was missing.  
“Oh, shoot,” he muttered, echoing something his mother had said the day before.  
The flare gun wasn’t in the same place as the other boat either. Not wanting to let his father down, he made sure to have a good (and quiet) look around for it. He soon found it in one of the cabinets underneath the radio and had some trouble skirting beer bottles to pull it out.  
As soon as he pulled it clear he remembered what his Dad had said. If he had to set off the flare, he also had to swim to the shore. Being careful to make sure he wasn’t seen he looked over the controls to check how far away it was.  
It didn’t look like they’d drifted any closer. He wondered if his Dad had made it up.  
Regardless he knew his Dad was counting on him, so he started climbing back down the stairs. This time he knew there was water everywhere so he was more careful and managed to not slip over on the deck. He made his way back to the stern where he looked down into the water again, knowing he was going to have to swim. As he looked down he realised he saw a dark shape move through the water, and he panicked a moment before the dolphin quietly broke the surface and headed to the other side of the boat.  
He wasn’t all that sure about getting into the water with the dolphins so close by either. But he was already telling himself he didn’t have a choice.  
He looked the flare gun over. It was the same as the one on their boat, so at least he knew what to do. Turning his face away, he used both arms to hold the gun out at an angle over the water, and fired.

Taylor heard the gun fire and instantly realised the boat’s radio mustn’t have worked.  
“What the fuck was that?!” the gunman’s partner yelled, and he could hear their boots skirting the holes in the deck as they rushed to the side of the boat.  
Quickly Taylor ducked over to the cabin door and started banging on it.  
“HEY!” he yelled, trying to divert their attention so River could escape, “HEY! I’VE GOT YOUR MONEY!”  
“Go check it,” he heard the same man instruct, before he saw the gunman approaching from the small window.  
“I’ve got your money!” Taylor reiterated when he could see him, glad it was the one with the gun who’d responded.  
He backed away from the door as the chest was pushed aside. When the door opened Taylor could see even through the balaclava that disgruntled didn’t begin to describe the man’s mood.  
“What?!” he demanded, keeping the gun trained on Taylor.  
“I have your money,” Taylor raised his hands a little, “it’s here.”  
“All of it?!”  
“I don’t know,” Taylor glanced toward the door, trying to spot his accomplice.  
“Where?!”  
Taylor indicated over his shoulder before stepping aside. The gunman eyed him suspiciously before making sure to keep the gun pointed at him as he passed by. With a final glance at Taylor he struggled for a moment to move the lid from the chest.  
Taylor grabbed the first thing within reach – a fire extinguisher – and aimed it for the gunman’s head. He never saw it coming.  
The moment the gun hit the cabin floor Taylor bolted. The gunman had no time to recover before he was out the door, closing it behind him and pushing the chest across to where it had locked him in earlier.  
When he looked up he locked eyes with the man’s accomplice.  
“The fuck?” he heard him mutter, immediately skirting the many holes in the deck in order to get to the cabin.  
Taylor quickly judged which way he’d have to go and darted left. He’d barely set foot on the deck itself before stepping up to the ledge and diving into the water without hesitation.  
Once he hit the water he couldn’t hear what was going on back on the boat. He hadn’t looked back for where River was in case he inadvertently drew attention to him, and his main priority now was distraction. If they came after him they’d soon forget about River.  
As soon as he broke the surface he looked back. The man had made it to the cabin and was already letting his friend out. Suddenly regretting not confiscating the firearm Taylor realised he needed to be a lot further away than he was. Looking back for the shoreline, he dove into a hurried freestyle.


	5. Chapter 5

The first time he heard a gunshot he dove underwater. He was already over halfway to the shore and he knew the fishing boats must have seen the flare, but it was still highly possible he’d be shot in the meantime.  
At least they were shooting at _him_.  
When he’d gone as far as he could as far as holding his breath was concerned, he knew he’d have to surface again. Knowing it was inevitable he decided to be quick about it and lunged upward.  
Once he broke he turned back to the boat. Neither man was in sight. With a frown he rubbed his eyes so he could focus better, but he definitely couldn’t see them.  
Then he heard the motor on one of the boats starting up. Already more worried at being run over than shot at, Taylor looked back for the dock and hurriedly aimed for it again. 

When River looked back and saw the boat starting to move, he looked over for where he’d seen his Dad dive into the water earlier. He could see some splashing in the water but he couldn’t tell if it were actually his Dad or just a fish breaking the water from this distance.  
A sudden snicker from behind him diverted his attention, and worried that someone had somehow snuck up behind him he was relieved when he turned to see one of the dolphins a few feet away.  
“Hey,” he greeted, his chin ducking underwater now and again as he grew tired from treading, “thank you!”  
The dolphin seemed to look at him curiously before diving underwater. River backed off a little as he could no longer see the mammal, but when he saw a fin further off he managed to calm himself down again.  
He didn’t expect the water to suddenly break right beside him, a grey fin right within reaching distance. When he panicked and backed away the dolphin only came closer, and it took River a moment to work out that the dolphin seemed to be waiting for him to do something.  
Gingerly, River reached out for the fin. Once he had a grip on it the dolphin took off for the shoreline.  
River used the time to again look for his Dad. The boat was closing in on the closer docks and he’d lost sight of the splashing where he’d thought his Dad might have been. While he was worried he decided to focus on getting to the shore like his Dad had told him to, and with the dolphin’s help he wasn’t all that far away.  
The dolphin took him to a rock bank that River was able to climb up to get out of the water. When he finally reached solid ground – on the wrong side of a wire fence – he struggled to remove his lifejacket. Once he had it off he turned to thank the dolphin again, but it was gone.  
He looked out over the water, half hoping to spot his Dad again, but the boat was too close to the dock. The boat the family had hired still sat where it had been anchored, and from this distance River could easily see the damage done to the deck.  
“Hello?!”  
River slipped on one of the rocks as he jumped at the sound of the voice. Catching himself from falling back down the bank, he looked up to see a female jogger making her way to the fence line.  
“Are you okay?” she asked.  
River looked her over, cautiously stepping to the side. One thing his parents had drilled into he and his siblings relentlessly had been stranger danger, but he instantly recognised the exceptional circumstance.  
“I think my Dad’s in trouble,” he pointed to the docks.

Taylor used the pylons beneath the jetty to push himself further back into the bay. If he could get close enough to the actual docks he should have been able to find a ladder to pull himself up with. Unfortunately by the time he found himself there the boat had well and truly caught up with him and he had to concentrate on staying as quiet as he could.  
“Can you see him?!” he heard the gunman call out as they docked.  
“Not yet,” came the reply from further away, “he might still be in the water.”  
Taylor grit his teeth at that and looked around for somewhere to hide. The only other option was to climb up the rocks and trap himself under the platform. When the waves came in from a passing boat, he could have cursed when he saw that it was the coastguard heading out to the hire boat.  
He was distracted again when he heard the two men jump onto the planks above his head. He could now easily see their shadows crossing the gaps.  
“Are you sure?” Taylor couldn’t tell which one of them had spoken this time.  
He let himself drift back toward the rocks a little, making sure he didn’t splash the water at all. The next jetty to the right had a step ladder leading out of the water, but to get to it he’d have to expose himself and he knew it would take too much time.  
One of the shadows headed to the end of the jetty while the other slowly made its way to the land side. Taylor kept his attention to the man getting closer, not sure if he was armed or not. He found himself subconsciously holding his breath as the shadows played across his face, soon looking up to see the sole of a black boot.  
When he realised there was an eye behind it, it was too late to duck. A bullet came through the dock and hit Taylor in the right shoulder.  
Taylor yelped and went under. Momentarily losing the use of his arm in his panic, he used his left to push himself away from the pylon. When he surfaced again he found himself on the opposite side from where he needed to be, but he knew the gunman would have already heard his gasps for breath.   
“He’s over here!” he heard the call, followed by more footfalls overhead.


	6. Chapter 6

With a groan Taylor pushed himself back to the other side, trying to dodge where he thought the gun might be pointed. When he hit the far pylon and ducked around the edge, he looked across to the stepladder again. He didn’t have a choice, he was going to have to swim for it.  
He knew the pain in his shoulder would hinder him holding his breath for as long as he had earlier but he thought he could make it. If he could at least get behind the pylon by the ladder he might have a chance to recover before trying to make a run for it.   
“Here!” he heard a boot above his head and knew he was out of time.  
He sucked in a deep breath and went under, using his legs to push off from the pylon. 

Taylor couldn’t hear anything from under the water, not even any potential gunshots. His heartbeat echoed in his ears the entire way. To say he was surprised he made it without bleeding any more than he already was, was an understatement. As he surfaced he looked back over his shoulder, grabbing onto the ladder with his left hand to keep himself afloat. What he saw on the other dock took his breath away again.  
The coastguard had finally turned back, the commotion obviously alerting them. The gunman was on his stomach while his accomplice held his hands in the air – and when Taylor looked to the incoming boat he could see two officers with their weapons drawn and aimed.  
“Holy crap,” he let himself relax back into the ladder, unable to find the strength to climb it once the adrenaline began to ease off.  
“DAD?!”  
Taylor’s eyes shot to the dock where he saw River running down the path and onto the jetty.   
“River stay back!” his voice broke as he tried to warn him away.  
River didn’t hear and fell to his knees when he got to the top of the ladder to look over.  
“Get down on your stomach!” Taylor ordered, wincing as he automatically tried to use his right arm to direct him.  
“Are you hurt?!” River called down as he did as he was told, laying so his face could just peek over the edge.  
“I’m okay,” Taylor insisted, turning his attention back to the boats, “are you?”  
“No I’m good,” River replied, following his father’s eye line.  
The coastguard finally made it to the opposite jetty, apprehending the man with his arms raised. A gun was pointed at the one on the ground and Taylor could see the officers approaching with caution. The one closest to him gave his leg a kick, and Taylor’s face paled when there was no response.  
“River? Look at me,” Taylor insisted, taking his son’s eyes from the scene, “did you get out okay?”  
“Yeah,” he shrugged, “but I had help.”  
“Help?” Taylor frowned, “from who?”  
“From the dolphins,” River was looking out over the water again.  
“River,” Taylor caught his attention again, “the dolphins?”  
“Yeah one of them gave me a ride,” he replied, “then there was a lady that helped me over the fence and she called the police when I said you were in trouble.”  
Taylor hesitated, slightly confused at his words, but figuring he’d work it all out later. He looked back across to the dock in time to see one of the officers make their way down to the path River had run from.  
Sensing that the danger had well passed, he looked up again.  
“Riv’? Can you go meet that officer?” he nodded toward him, “I think he knows we’re here.”  
“Okay,” River pulled himself up and took off down the jetty again.  
Taylor took a deep breath as he relaxed into the water again. He could easily hear the officer approach his son, and River enthusiastically leading him back to the ladder.  
“Sir?!” the call finally came.  
“I’m okay!” Taylor called back.  
“Can you make it up the ladder, Sir?”  
Taylor took a moment to work himself up, knowing he didn’t have far to go and it would be over and done with. He had trouble gripping with his right hand at first but once he had hold of the first rung the rest were easy.  
He pulled himself up to sit on the dock, letting himself drip dry and recover.  
“Dad!” River suddenly hugged him from behind.  
“Hey,” Taylor finally smiled, “you sure you’re okay?”  
“Yep,” River insisted, looking up at the officer.  
“Is there someone who can take the young man?” he asked solemnly.  
“My wife,” Taylor looked back down the dock, “we’re staying back over the other side of the bay, on the water’s edge. She’ll be wondering where we are by now.”  
“Can I call her for you?”  
“Yeah she could probably come get him. Us,” Taylor agreed.  
The officer passed Taylor his cell phone and Taylor entered Natalie’s cell number. The officer spoke briefly with her before ending the call.  
“Does your shoulder need attention?” he nodded to it.  
“I’m not sure,” Taylor admitted, not wanting to inspect the wound in River’s presence.  
“Can we get a medic over here?”  
Taylor looked up, realising he was talking into a radio.   
“Do you know why they were after you?” he decided to get down to business with River still in tow.  
“Yeah, I think,” Taylor frowned, looking back toward the boats, “they were after the boat we hired a few days ago. Someone told them where we’d be.”  
“Do you know who?”  
Taylor shrugged.  
“Someone named Chris,” he offered, “that’s all I heard before they locked me in the cabin and destroyed the boat looking for their money.”  
“Money?” The officer raised a brow.  
“Yeah it was in the cabin,” Taylor gave River a glance, who was busy looking out over the water again, “I used it as a distraction to escape. I’d already gotten my son out through the window.”

Their attention was soon drawn to an ambulance officer making his way down the platform. He stopped at Taylor’s side, and before he could raise Taylor’s sleeve he made sure to turn away so River wouldn’t see.  
Blood had well and truly stained his shirt and continued to trickle down his arm, but it was bleeding a lot less than he’d expected.  
“What did this?” the medic cautiously touched around the wound.  
“A bullet,” Taylor winced, worried that it hadn’t been obvious.  
“It’s just a flesh wound,” the medic assured, “there hasn’t been any real damage below skin level.”  
“It was just a graze,” Taylor breathed a sigh of relief regardless.  
“Wow, cool!”  
“River!” Taylor scorned, catching sight of him looking around the medic’s shoulder.  
“Did my Dad get shot?” River looked to the officer, making Taylor roll his eyes.  
“He did,” the officer confirmed.  
“Cool!”  
“RIVER!”  
Taylor’s head snapped up to the end of the jetty, and River took off at the sound of his name. Natalie was running down the pathway, soon catching her son into her arms midway.  
“Hey Mom! Dad got shot!” River exclaimed, the excitement of the morning taking its toll.  
“Are you okay?!” she demanded.  
“I’m fine,” River grumbled as she checked him over without waiting for an answer, “but Dad got shot!”  
“So I heard.”  
She took his hand and led him back to where Taylor sat, cautiously eyeing her husband as she got close.  
“I’m fine,” Taylor insisted, seeing the worry in her eyes.  
“You’ll be fine when we get you back home,” Natalie put her hand on River’s shoulder instead, “what’s the damage?”  
“It’s just a graze,” Taylor answered before the medic could, “minimal damage.”  
“Would you mind taking the boy while I have a word with his father?” the officer directed his request to Natalie.  
“Sure,” she nodded, before giving Taylor another worried look.  
Before he could reassure her again, she bent over and gave him a quick kiss.  
“We won’t be far,” she assured, before leading River back down the jetty.  
“Bye Dad!” River waved back.  
Taylor watched after them with a sigh, before focusing on his shoulder as the medic began to wrap it up.  
“Could I get some details?” the officer took out his notepad, “do you have any ID on you?”  
“It was… it’s on the boat,” Taylor indicated it, “the one in shambles that is. My camera bag’s on the deck – or it was – and my wallet’s in there with my phone.”  
“We’ll get that for you,” the officer assured, “what were you doing out here this morning?”  
“Taking photos,” Taylor shrugged, “we hired the boat for my birthday yesterday. We were supposed to take it back this morning so I figured I’d take it out one last time.”  
He hesitated as he thought that over.  
“Insurance covers being hijacked, right?” he thought to check.  
“You’ll have to take that up with your insurance company,” the officer amended.


End file.
